Surviving Tragedy: Tales of Hope and Resilience Amidst Extreme Weather and Poverty.

A tornado with a 59-mile path struck Mississippi, hitting the predominantly Black community of Rolling Fork particularly hard, where half of the deaths occurred. The prevalence of mobile homes and manufactured housing made the town of about 2,000 people particularly vulnerable to extreme weather. On average, 54% of tornado-related fatalities are in mobile homes, according to the National Weather Service. People who seek shelter in mobile homes are also 15 to 20 times more likely to be killed compared to those who take refuge in permanent homes. The tornado that hit Rolling Fork was also an intense, fast-moving storm that struck under the cover of night, when visibility is low and people are more likely to be asleep and caught off guard.